Healthy, oil-free transportation: The role of walking and bicycling in reducing oil dependence

Abstract

In a country where many view bicycles as mere toys and walking as a relic of a bygone era, why would anyone posit that walking and bicycling (or active transportation) are essential to a serious strategy to rein in America's oil dependence? The simple answer is that overreliance on motor vehicles is at the center of our oil dependence, and walking and bicycling are the most cost-effective ways to curb a substantial portion of projected growth in vehicle-miles traveled. A convergence of popular demand for safe and convenient places to walk or bicycle and fiscal constraints that compel policy makers to make the most of every tax dollar add up to a compelling case for increased investment in active transportation as an integral piece of our strategy to manage our nation's oil dependence.